AUGUSTA — City detectives have arrested an Oregon man who allegedly raped his girlfriend, struck her in the head with a beer bottle and strangled her at an Augusta hotel room in the presence of their young son in January.

Detectives arrested Damien Sanchez, 26, of Roseburg, Oregon, on a warrant and charged him with gross sexual assault, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of theft, after Sanchez was arrested in Oregon.

Augusta Detectives Christopher Guay and Derek Daley traveled to Oregon last Thursday — after Sanchez was extradited — to return him to Maine to face charges. Information on when and how Sanchez was located and arrested in Oregon was not available Monday.

In January, Sanchez came with his girlfriend and their 1-year-old son from Oregon to the Super 8 hotel at 395 Western Ave. in Augusta, according to an affidavit filed by Daley. Sanchez became angry after learning his girlfriend planned to leave with their son and return to Oregon with a friend.

The victim told police Sanchez began assaulting her at their hotel room, putting both hands around her neck and attempting to strangle, her while holding her down on the bed. He then allegedly demanded to have sex with her, and when she said no, he removed her pants and underwear and sexually assaulted her.

After the alleged sexual assaulted ended, they argued and, the woman said, Sanchez hit her on the head with a beer bottle he had been holding by the neck, like a club, which broke, causing her to fall forward onto the bed. He then allegedly strangled her again, although she did not lose consciousness, according to the affidavit.

Advertisement

The affidavit also states the couple’s child slept through most of the ordeal, but awoke when his mother was allegedly struck by the beer bottle. Police said they found droplets of blood on the child and shards of glass on the bed where he had been sleeping.

Sanchez, who allegedly stole the woman’s debit card, eventually left in the alleged victim’s car after she told him to take it and leave. The woman then reportedly took her son and went to see a friend, another woman staying at the motel. The woman told police the alleged victim appeared to be close to losing consciousness and was covered in blood when she asked for help. The woman aided the alleged victim and her son and contacted the police.

Daley wrote in the affidavit the alleged victim was holding her son in her lap when he arrived, and her face and clothing were covered in blood, her left forehead and eye had significant swelling, her mouth was swollen and had blood inside and she had abrasions on her face and hands.

The affidavit states the alleged victim was examined at Maine General Medical Center, where she was told she had two fractures of her orbital bone, the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are located.

The alleged incident took place Jan. 23.

The Augusta Police Department issued a warrant for Sanchez, who went missing and was not located until his recent arrest in Oregon.

Advertisement

Hotel security camera footage showed Sanchez running to the victim’s vehicle and driving off. The victim’s car was located in February in Cincinnati, according to court documents.

Court documents filed by Michael Madigan, an assistant district attorney, note Sanchez was on probation for domestic assault in Oregon and Tennessee.

Augusta police Chief Jared Mills said when someone is arrested out of state on a warrant, the agency that issued the warrant can send officers to the state where the suspect was arrested to extradite him or her and return the person to Maine.

If that agency is not able to do so, the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office performs the extradition.

Mills said he had detectives available and the case is serious, so city detectives went to Oregon to return with Sanchez, who was being held Monday at Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta. His bail has been set at $100,000 cash.

Comments are not available on this story.